Pump-type toothpaste dispenser



May 21, 1957 VA. 5. COPPAGE 2, 9

PUMP-TYPE TOOTHPASTE DISPENSER I Filed June 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 @m w mm 7 @lll. IIAI/ m M. m. L m w w T F W v M Y 11 i Ii.

United States Patent PUMP-TYPE t TOOTHPASTE" DISPENSER? Avery S. Coppage, Fort Worth, .Tex.,- assignor of onefourth to Lela Coppage, Fort Worth, Tex., and onehalf to Wilson'CL Bowslier, La's VegagNev.

Application lune 8, 1955, S erial 190.514.1105

4 Claiins.- (Cl.Y141 -362 The present invention relates" to a manually controllable material dispenser'whicli is pr imarily designed and adapted to handle pastes and creams and which has to do with a simple and practical mechanical dispenser andwhich is thought to be novel in that it embodies and conveniently utilizes-'a purnp whichdispenses a measured amount of toothpasteat each operationo Measuring-type material dispensers are well known. It is also common in the art to provide, in certain prior art constructionsa toothbrush operated member which controls a valve-for' opening and closing the source of supply of powder or paste, as the casemay be. In order to categori-zethe ins'tant subject-matter of the invention and to comprehend, generally; the stateof the art to which it relatesythe 'reader" may referto the dispensing apparatus of Noel R. Kirkgnar'nely, Patent No. 1,920,867 of Augustl, 1933. By wayof -analogyythis" patented construction als'o'introduces agun-type pump which is characterized by a cylinder provided with a discharge opening, a piston mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder, piston operating means, a spring for urging said operating means in one 'di're'ction, and -connections between the piston and -operatii1g means adapted to move the piston to perform automatically inboth itsdischarge stroke and parf'of thesucceeding return-stroke during the movement of the operating means 'and under the urge of the 1 spring m'eansi An obvious objective of the instant matter is to structurally, functionally and-otherwise improve upon the Kirk patent and any other similarly constructed and performing dispensers. For example, instead of employing a reservoirfor the material and a follower-which assistsin expressing the material, the instant invention proposesthe use of aconventional-type collapsible toothpaste filled tubewhich is connected with the pump means in a novel and satisfactorily operating manner.

In carrying out the preferred embodiment of the invention under advisement, a simple and expedient mechanical-type pump is built into a handy cover-closed cabinet or the like. The latter 'is bracketed'or otherwise hung on a wall or suitable stationary support. The pump is characterized bya cylinder and a piston with the cylinder provided at its lower end with a discharge nozzle and provided on one side and above the plane of the nozzle with an intake'neck; Using a suitable adapter, a conventional-type toothpaste tube iscommunicatively attached to the intake neck. After the lower portion of the cylinder just abovethe discharge and intake portion is primed or charged with paste from the tube, it will be seen that the downward compression stroke of the piston in the cylinder forcibly ejects a measured amount through the discharge nozzle onto a brush in a holder, for example, a slide, which locates itself beneath the nozzle. At the same time the plunger functions as a cutoif valve during this compression and dispensing stroke. On its upward or return'stroke,.it produces suction in the cylinder andopens the intake neck during which time a predetermined amount of toothpaste is sucked into the 'ice 2. cylinder and the pump'is then readied for the next measured dispensing operation.

In reducing to practice the over-all concept, a novel tray-type slideisemployed'to accommodate the manu' ally actuatable brush and this has operating connection by Wayof aflexi-ble'element with meanswhich depresses the piston to accomplish its down stroke, spring means being employed to raise the piston and to normally maintain it in its up or ready to-useposition.

Other objects, features and advantages will becomernore readily apparent from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designatelike parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a measuring-type pump-equipped toothpaste dispenser constructed in accordance with the'princip'les: of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view taken on' the plane of the vertical line 2-2 of Figure land with parts appearing in section andalso in elevation;

Figure 3 is asection'on the vertical line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a'hon'z ontal or'cross 'se'ctiohal view on the line 4-4' of Figure2;

Figures Sand '6 are detail sections taken on the lines 55 and 66-of' Figures '3 and 2, respectively;

Figure 7 is aperspective 'view of the aforementioned adapter;

Figure 8 is a fragrnentary' detail view on the plane of the line 8 8 of Figure 4; and

Figure'9is a fra'g'menta'ry sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

As will be evident, the casing or cabinet is not an absolutely essential-"part but will more or less be desirable since the device will' have to be of good general appearance inasmuch as it is usually to be employed in ones bathroom. Considering, then, the cabinet this is. denoted generally by the numeral 10. This is. of any appropriate material and shape and size andincludes a bottom wall 12', a top wall 14, vertical side walls 16, a full back wall 18and' front wall 20. The latter is constructed to accommodate an'insertable andremovable cover or panel22; A's perhaps best shown in Figures 2 and 4, the upper portion of the front wall has a groove 24 to accommodate a keying tongue 26 on the upper end of the panel. The vertical or longitudinal edges are formed as shown in Figure 4 with lengthwise flanges 2% fitting into grooves provided therefor in the .vertical front Wall portions. At the-lower portion the panel has bosses or similar nodule-like formations 30 which are removably snapped into place. The cooperating embossments 32 are shoulders orstops and assist in holding the cover in place. Thelower portion of the front wall beneath the cover is provided with a suitable front opening which is generally denoted by the numeral 34.. On the back wall there is a suitable embedded fixed attaching bracket 36 which is'of the construction shown in Figure 4- and is removably or detachably'mountedon the complemental wall fixture or supporting bracket 3s; The materials from which these parts are made are thought to be immaterial, patentably speaking. On the interior of the cabinet or case in what may be called the compartment space 40 thereis a vertical'rib or equivalent formation 42. This is provided with a vertical bore 44 which constitutes the aforementioned cylinder. At the lower end as brought out in Figure 2, there is a discharge for the toothpaste which may be treated as a discharge neck 46. This is screw threaded to accommodate a suitable discharge nozzle 48. Onone side, that is the right in Figure 2 and above the discharge neck, there is an outstanding intake neck 50. This has asocket therein to accommodate the telescopically fitted lateral branch '52 of the elbowlike adapter 54. The vertical branch 56 is socketed and the socket serves to accommodate the usual screw threaded neck 58 on the paste filled collapsible tube 60. This stands up vertically and in practice the adapter will be of rubber of an appropriate type so that it may be easily .fitted to the part which it cooperates with. The adapter and neck provide a passage from the reservoir or source of supply, that is, the tube 60, to the lower portion of the cylinder. The piston which is reciprocable in the cylinder is a simple rod 62 which has a reduced central portion provided with a packing ring 64. The rod extends upwardly through the open upper end of the cylinder where it is provided with a head 66 suitably connected with what may be described as an L-shaped mechanical actuator. This has its short arm 68 apertured and the headed end 66 is connected therewith. The short arm also provides a stop or abutment for a coiled spring 70. The coil spring surrounds the piston rod and is interposed between the arm 68 and the upper end of the cylinder rib or block 42. This block is provided with a suitable guiding channel 72 as brought out in Figure 4 which permits vertical sliding of the long arm of the L- shaped actuator therein. This long arm is denoted at 74 and as best shown in Figure 2 there is a flexible element 76 having its upper end 78 connected to the actuator. The flexible element is trained over idling pulleys 80 and 82 mounted in the lower wall portions. The wall portion is grooved as at 84 to accommodate the pulleys and the pulleys are mounted on shafts 86 which are suitably provided therefor. The aforementioned slide 88 takes the form of a miniature tray and the adjacent end portion 90 of the flexible element is attached to a lug 92 on the bottom of the tray. The end portion 92 of the tray is open to accommodate the bristled head 94 of the toothbrush. There are side flanges 96 and an end flange 98 which serve as thrust members whereby moving the brush from right to left serves to slide the tray in the keying and guiding grooves 100. The tray has flanges 102 which operate in these grooves as shown in Figure 3. The device is shown set for operation in Figure 2. Here it is to be assumed that the toothpaste tube 60 has been mounted on the adapter and that the. parts are in communicative operating relationship as brought out. When the tube is first attached the upper end may be squeezed to apply the desired amount of toothpaste A into the lower portion of the cylinder in readiness for dispensing. That is to say, the cylinder is primed to start with. The piston rod 62 which is held up by the spring 70, is now poised and ready to operate. It might be mentioned here that the numeral 104 seen, for example in Figure 2, is a stop or bumper for the upper headed end 66 of the piston rod. The spring 70 serves not only to hold the piston in its up or normal position but it also operates by way of the flexible element 76 and pulleys to hold the brush receiving tray in the full line position shown at the right in Figure 2. It will be evident therefore that by placing the headed end of the toothbrush in the manner shown in phantom lines in- Figure 2, and exerting pressure on the handle B of the brush, the slide 88 moves from the full line to the dotted line position as shown. This obviously exerts a stress or pull on the flexible element 76 and causes the L-shaped actuator, the parts 74 and 68, to ride down in the guideway 72. This compresses the spring 70 and also forces. the piston down in the cylinder. It follows that the charge A is compressed and is forced out through the 4 toothpaste from the tube and to replenish or replace the initially discharged paste in a seemingly practical and obvious manner.

The toothpaste tube may be easily put in position or removed by way of the insertable and removable cover panel 22. It is also easily accessible for checking should for some reason or other the pump means fail to operate effectually on its compressing and return suction strokes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows: V

1. A measured amount toothpaste dispenser, comprising a stationary suction-loading, paste compressing and dispensing pump embodying a cylinder having a paste discharge neck and complemental nozzle at its lower end, a lateral intake neck on one side in a plane above said discharge nozzle, an elbow-type adapter having one branch communicatively connected with said intake neck, a collapsible tube of toothpaste having a neck connected to the other branch of said adapter, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder and progressively cooperable with saidintake neck and discharge neck respectively in a manner to valve and temporarily close said intake neck while forcibly compressing and ejecting a measured amount of toothpaste by way of said discharge neck during the compressing and discharging strokes respectively of said piston, and again opening said intake neck and sucking in an amount of paste equivalent to the measured amount previously displaced on its returning suction stroke, spring biased plunger reciprocating means operatively connected with said piston for moving andreturning the latter to its normal ready-to-operate position and also in an opposite direction to its dispensing position, a slide operatively mounted beneath said discharge neck and adapted to receive and be operated by manual movement of a toothbrush which is applied thereto and an operating connection between said slide and spring biased piston reciprocating means.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said operating connection embodies a flexible element con-' nected at one end to said slide and at its other end to said toothbrush operated means, said slide comprising a tray designed and adapted to removably seat the bristled head of the brush therein, said tray being open at one end but otherwise provided with upstanding marginal flanges which serve to position and hold the brush and also serve as thrust members and therefore function to impart the desired sliding movement by way of hand pressure applied to said brush. i

3. A toothpaste dispenser comprising a casing embodying a compartment having a front wall provided with a readily applicable and removable opening andclosing panel, the lower portion of said front wall having an opening therein to permit access to be constantly had to the lower open portion of said compartment, a bored block fixedly mounted in said compartment with the bore opening through the upper and lower ends of the block, said bore defining a cylinder, the lower portion of said block having a discharged neck aligned with said cylinder and a complemental discharge nozzle, the portion ofthe block in a plane above said neck being provided with an outstanding bored neck communicating with said cylinder and providing an intake, an elbow-like adapter having one branch fitted telescopically into said intake neck and having a vertically disposed socketed branch to accommodate the usual screw threaded neck of a tube of toothpaste, a piston rod slidably mounted in said cylinder and having its lower portion progressively and successively cooperable with said discharge neck and intake neck, a

tray-like slide mounted operatively in the lower portion of said compartment, and a spring-biased operating connection between said tray-like slide and piston rod.

4. A toothpaste dispenser comprising a casing embodying top, bottom, side, rear and front walls cooperating and defining a compartment, said front wall having a readily applicable and removable opening and closing panel, the lower portion of said front wall having an opening therein to permit access to be constantly had to the lower open portion of said compartment, a bored block fixedly mounted in said compartment with the bore opening through the upper and lower ends of the block, said bore defining a cylinder, the lower portion of said block having a discharge neck and a complemental discharge nozzle, the portion of the block in a plane above said neck being provided with an outstanding bored neck providing an intake, an elbow-like adapter having one branch fitted telescopically into said intake neck and having a vertically disposed socketed branch to accommodate the usual screw threaded neck of a tube of toothpaste, a piston rod slidably mounted in said cylinder and having its lower portion progressively cooperable with said discharge neck and intake neck, a tray-like slide mounted operatively in the lower portion of said casing, and an operating connection between said tray-like slide and piston rod, said operating connection embodying an L-shaped sllidably mounted piston rod actuator having a short arm connected to the upper end of said piston rod, having a long arm slidably mounted in said block, a coil spring encircling the upper end of said piston rod and interposed between said short arm and the upper end of said block, pulleys mounted for idling in the lower portion of said casing, and a flexible element connected at one end with said long arm, having its intermediate portion trained over said pulleys and having its other end portion connected with said slide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 247,308 Chewning Sept. 20, 1881 2,216,890 Phillips Oct. 8, 1940 20 2,373,171 Daly Apr. 10, 1945 2,622,768 Hatcher Dec. 23, 1952 

